Disconnector for firearms



bolt may be urged Patented June 24, 1947 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates in general to automatic and semi-automatic firearms whether rifles, shotguns, or hand guns.

Objects of the invention include the provision of means for positively preventing the premature firing of a firearm before the breech is closed, so that a shell in the breech cannot explode prior to substantially complete closing thereof; the provision of a firearm of the bolt closed breech type including means preventing operation of a sear by the trigger unless and until the breech is substantially and completely closed by the bolt; and the provision of a firearm of the type described comprising a hammer, a scar, a trigger, a lever operably connected between the trigger and sear for operation or the latter by the former and including means associated with said lever maintaining the same completely disconnected from the sear at all times unless the bolt is substantially completely seated in breech closed condition, so that the sear cannot be actuated regardless of trigger movement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a firearm disclosing the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in operation;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the operation of a device illustrating the invention; and

'Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the forward end of the disconnector, the latter being broken away.

In automatic and semi-automatic firearms it is a well recognized fault of the conventional weal on that it is possible for a shell to explode in the breech prior to the substantially complete closing of the breech by the bolt. This fault results in premature firing and dangerous explosions which may not only the operator. It is the prime purpose of this invention to provide means insuring that the firearm cannot be fired in any condition of the bolt except in a substantially completely breech closed condition wherein the shell or cartridge is firmly lockedin the breech.

For the purposes of illustration the invention is shown in the drawings as comprising a receiver 10 to which a barrel, not shown, may be secured in a conventional manner. The receiver is provided with a bolt chamber as at l2 containing as illustrated herein a reciprocating bolt [4. This to the left in Figs. 1 and 2 by any desired or conventional means, such as for damage the weapon but also injure instance by an action bar to be described, to close the breech and come to rest against the base of a cartridge to maintain the same solidly in the breech in safe condition for firing. The bolt as shown in the present case is provided with a 1onitudinal movable firin pin [.6 having a striking end l8. The chamber in the illustrated receiver ill also contains a hammer 20 which may .be re.- siliently urged forwardly, i. e., to the left, to strike firing pin [6 to fire a cartridge held in the breech by bolt M. A spring 22, having a reaction point in a receiver closing plug 24, may be utilized for this purpose.

In the drawings there is shown a reciprocating member 26 which is conventionally known as the action bar, and this action bar is connected to the bolt as for instance by means of an integral element 28 which fits in a cross slot in the bolt as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The action bar 26 is conventionally urged forwardly or to the left by means of a spring not shown and the action bar may be guided in its movements by a plate 35! and a stud 32.

A sear 34 may be pivoted as at 36 on a fixed part of the firearm as for instance a plate 31 which is connected to the receiver as by a dovetail or other fastening means. The sear 34 is provided with a Sear notch 38, and a sear spring All continuously urges the sear in a counter clockwise direction so that a nose 42 of the sear will engage with a shoulder or notch 44 on the hammer 26. It will be seen from the above that the sear will continue to hold the hammer in its position retracted against spring 22 unless it is pivoted in a clockwise direction so that the sear nose will be drawn away from the shoulder 44 of the hammer, whereupon spring 22 will cause the hammer to travel in a direction to strike the firing pin.

A trigger Mi is pivoted as at 48 on plate 3i and is provided with a spring 50 yieldingly maintaining the same in its forward position. The trigger 46 is cut away as at 52 and in the cut away area there is provided a pin 54 on which is pivotally mounted a lever 56. Lev-er 56 is known as a disconnector and is provided with a disconnector notch 58 which is adapted to engage or selectively disengage the sear notch 36. A spring 5i} mounted in the trigger bears against the underside of the disconnector lever and tends to maintain the same in upward position as shown in Fig. 1 to engage thesear. With the parts thus far explained it will be apparent thatas the trigger'is pressed, the disconnector will move folwardly and downwardly, swinging the sear 34 in tor.

a clockwise direction to release the hammer 20 so that the same will impinge upon the Striking end [8 of the firing pin 16 to fire a cartridge.

The forward or left hand end of the disconnector 56 is provided with a cut away portion forming a shoulder as at 62. A small spring 64 is located at the forward end of the disconnector and a generally U-shaped shell 66 is pivoted to the disconnector as at 68. The U-shaped shell 66 is provided with an element 10 which may be integral therewith and defines the bottom of the U. Element 10 is positioned normally as shown to be engaged by spring 64 so that shell 68 will be resiliently and yieldably maintained in its upright position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shell 66 is open at the top and this opening is defined by the top edges 12, these edges forming a continuation of the upper edges 14 of the disconnector when the shell 66 is positioned as thus far described. The element 70 is positioned so that it just engages the rear side of element 28 on the action bar 26 when the bolt is completely closed, this condition being represented in Fig. l.

In the operation of the device, the parts will be shown in Fig. 1 when the firearm is cooked but idle. The hammer 20 is cocked by the sear 34 and the sear notch 38 is engaged by shoulder 58 of the disconnector, this condition being maintained by a disconnector spring 60. When the trigger is pressed, the sear will release the hammeras above described and the latter will be urged to the left, firing the cartridge in the breech whereupon the explosive force will cause the bolt M to be retracted in the case of blow back firearms; or in the case of a gas operated firearm the action bar 26 would be retracted in a well known manner. In either case the efiect is that the action bar reacts against the ele-- ment 10 of the shell 66 and pivots the latter in a clockwise direction as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, this motion being stopped by shoul- .der 62; whereupon the element H! acts as a cam .and the disconnector 56 will be dropped down .by the force of the retraction of the action bar ,to the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the sear is completely disengaged from the disconnec- When this happens the sear of course is pivoted back to its original position, the sear ,nose 42 being in the path of the-hammer under influence of the sear spring 40 so as to re-en- :gage shoulder 44 of the hammer as the latter is retracted under influence of the bolt. The Fig.

.2 showing discloses the bolt on its travel toward breech closed condition, it being noted that the hammer is nowcocked.

As the bolt and action bar approach breech closed conditionof the firearm the element 28 rides along surface 14 of the disconnector lever to the left and passes therefrom onto the top edges 12 of the shell 65. The important part of the action now takes place and this resides in the fact that the disconnector cannot return to the Fig. 1 position until the element 28 completely travels ofi from edges 72 and as before stated the bolt is closed in this position. Hence the sear is not engaged by the disconnector lever until the bolt is in breech closed condition.

It will thus be seen that the shell 66 in efiect acts as a movable cam which provides for the descent of the disconnector and consequent disengagement of the latter from the sear; also, moreover, the shell 66 prevents the rise of the disconnector until the bolt has reached its seated breech closed position, it being emphasized that the sear cannot be actuated by the disconnector until the latter has reached its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, during all travel of the bolt and action bar the disconnector is disconnected from the sear so that the same may not be tripped to release the hammer.

It is to be understood that this invention may assume many different forms and is not limited to the type of firearm herein disclosed whether of the blow back or gas operated type, and the invention may be used in any type of automatic or semi-automatic firearm.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

'l. A firearm comprising a receiver having a bolt chamber, a bolt therein movable between breech open and closed positions, an action bar movable therewith, a sear, an element arranged to actuate the sear, a trigger arranged to actuate said element, said element being movable between operative and inoperative positions, pivotable means on the element in the path of the action bar providing a surface for movement of the element to inoperative position upon movement of the bolt towards breech open position, said means maintaining the element in inoperative position during the last portion of, but only until the end of, the breech closing motion of the bolt.

2.'A firearm' comprising a receiver having a bolt chamber, a bolt therein movable between breech open and closed positions, a hammer, a sear for the hammer, an element engageable with the sear, a trigger arranged to actuate said element, movable means on the element in the path of the bolt, said movable means providing a cam for movement of the element to inoperative position by motion of the bolt towards breech open position, said means acting as a stop for the element near the end of the closing motion of the bolt and preventing movement of the element to operative position, except at the end of the bolt movement to breech closed position.

3. A firearm comprising a receiver having a bolt chamber, a bolt movable therein between breech open and closed positions, a hammer, a sear therefor, an element selectively engageable with and disengageable from the sear and arranged to actuate the latter only when engaged therewith, a trigger arranged to actuate said element, a movable member on the element and engageable and moved by the bolt to form a cam to disengage the element from the sear during opening motion of the bolt, said member forming a stop maintaining the element in sear disengaged condition near the end of the bolt closing movement.

4. A firearm comprising a receiver having a bolt chamber, a movable bolt in the chamber, an

action bar, a hammer, a sear, a disconnector in of the disconnector to sear operable condition during the last portion of the motion of the action bar and until the latter disengages thererom.

5. A firearm comprising a receiver having a bolt chamber, a bolt in the chamber, a hammer, a scar therefor, a disconnector engageable with the sear, a trigger for the disconnector, said disconnector being normally in the path of the bolt for movement thereby to inoperative position, and an extension pivoted on the disconnector, a spring urging the extension toward the bolt, said extension being pivoted against the action of the spring by the bolt on movement of the latter in one direction, and said extension providing a stop for the disconnector near the end of the bolt motion to breech closing condition.

6. A firearm as recited in claim 5 wherein the extension is movable toa position to form an incline relative to the bolt to act as a cam.

7. A firearm as recited in claim 5 wherein the extension is retractable to a position wherein it provides an inclined surface for contact with the bolt.

8. A firearm as recited in claim 5 wherein the disconnector is in the form of a lever and the extension comprises a movable element.

9. A firearm comprising a receiver, a movable bolt movable between breech open and closed positions in the receiver, an action bar movable with the bolt, a hammer, a sear therefor, a scar disconnector, a trigger for actuating the disconnector to retract the sear from the hammer, said disconnector having a forward portion normally in the path of the action bar, a spring at said portion, a movable element urged by said spring toward the action bar, the element being retracted by the action bar against the action of the spring and providing a camming surface for movement of the disconnector out of the path of the action bar away from the sear under infiuence of the action bar, said spring returning the element to original position in sear disconnected position of the action bar, said element maintaining the disconnector in sear disconnected position during the last portion of the motion of the action bar until the action bar rides off the element in breech closed position of the bolt.

10. In a firearm, a receiver, a reciprocating bolt therein, a hammer, a scar, a scar actuating and disconnecting device, a trigger therefor, an action bar to disconnect the device from the sear, an element pivoted on the device, said element being pivotally moved in one direction by the action bar to present an inclined cam surface on the device so that the action bar may cam the device out of the path of the action bar to disconnect the sear, a spring to return the pivoted element on disengagement of the action bar, and a surface on said element in extension of the disconnecting device preventing return of the latter into the path of the action bar during the last portion of motion of the action bar until the action bar and bolt are fully home.

11. In a firearm, a receiver, a movable bolt therein, an action bar associated with the bolt for movement therewith, a sear, a disconnector for the sear, a trigger for the disconnector, a pivoted element in extension of the disconnector in the path of the action bar, a spring to yieldingly maintain the element in extended condition wherein the latter acts as a stop preventing connection of the sear and disconnector during the last portion of the action bar motion until the action bar disengages from the element at the end of the forward movement of the action bar, the element being pivoted by the action bar moving in the rearward direction, and means limiting the pivot motion of the element at a point Wherein the latter provides an inclined cam surface on the disconnector for engagement by the action bar to cam the disconnector away from the sear.

12. In a firearm, a receiver, a bolt movable therein, between breech open and closed positions, an action bar movable with the bolt, a sear,

disconnector for actuation to sear disconnecting position by the action bar in moving toward breech open condition of the bolt, a trigger for the disconnector pivoted cam element on the disconnector for pivotal movement by the action bar at the initiation of the breech opening stroke of the action bar, a spring to resist pivoting of the cam element under influence of the action bar, and a stop surface on the cam element in extension of the disconnector preventing return of the latter to sear engaging position during the last portion of the motion of the action bar until the action bar releases the cam element in breech closed position of the bolt.

13. A firearm comprising a reciprocable bolt, an action bar connected thereto, a sear, a disconnector, a cam element pivoted on the disconnector for engagement by the action bar to cam the disconnector from the sear, a trigger for the disconnector, said cam being pivotally moved by the action bar at the initiation of the movement of the latter to present an inclined surface thereto, a spring to return the element to non-inclined position upon release thereof by the action bar, said cam element in the latter position presenting a stop surface in extension of the disconnector to the action bar, said stop surface extending just to the end of the action bar in breech closed condition thereof and preventing return of the disconnector to sear engaging position during the last portion of the motion of the action bar to breech closed position thereof, except in full breech closed position of the action bar.

EUGENE G. REISING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,066,207 Jolidon July 1, 1913 1,081,761 Mauser Dec. 16, 1913 1,365,743 Stokke Jan. 18, 1921 1,807,727 Brinkerhoff June 2, 1931 1,860,157 Payne May 24, 1932 1,907,164 White May 2, 1933 2,037,065 Burton Apr. 14, 1936 2,267,078 Burton Dec. 23, 1941 

